Dungeons and Dragons: The Rise of Ahoth Pt: 2
by ZionRodgers1
Summary: In Part 2 of The Rise of Ahoth, the heroes attempt to rescue a man who was captured and is about to be killed by the evil cult group.


Session II: The Cult of the Black Moon

Our four heroes leap across rooftops, heading to the front gate, as the full moon shines above them. Traveling by road is a treacherous idea, for murderers, thieves and whores litter the streets at this time. They know this, so they take the route over rooftops. It is safer, plus the views are magnificent. You can see the giant stone brick walls rising way above the city, casting a looming shadow over it. Chimneys billow smoke out of the top, distributing into the sky. The tall apartment buildings lean close together, which makes it easier for traveling across them.

They run towards the giant gate that appears to still be open. Once they get there, they find Darvon standing there, a whip in his hand. He appears to be drunk, holding his refillable cask of ale. He is whipping a slave, who winces in pain with each painful blow.

"Darvon! Darvon!" Terricarus shouted, now jogging to stop him. The general swung the whip one last time, then turned to face Terricarus. "What? What are you going to do? Nothing. Exactly. When Andor is gone, you answer to me, and when I say this, I mean it. Get the fuck away. Unless you would like to take this man's place?"

Terricarus looks at the slave. He has already been branded on the forehead, and his back is different shades of red and purple. You can see the blood just starting to appear, and it runs down his back.

"Does this remind you of something? I think it does. What was it again? Your wife? And your daughter?" Darvon steps close to him, showing his crooked teeth through his teasing smile. "Didn't they get flogged? Oh, yes I remember them. Quite the bitch she was. She howled like one too when they tied her arms to the horses. I was there myself."

Not daring to step out of line, Terricarus looked into Darvon's eyes, them filling with both rage and the cursed memories. Many were now stopping what they were doing, looking at the conflict that was quickly arising. Nakunda was telling Terricarus to ignore him, but when she really wanted him to spit his skull open.

"Oh, and your daughter too," Darvon said, no going on again," she might have been even better than your mother. We had her lay in a pile of embers."

"Your drunk Darvon, stop this," Terricarus said, holding back his rage.

"I was drunk then too. I remember when King Vareth said I could have my way with your daughter. I bet you are glad he was killed, hmm?"

And with this, Terricarus slammed his head into his. Darvon fell back into the wheel of a cart. "You! I will kill you!" He jumped up, stumbling a little from his drunkenness, and grabbed his scythe and his shield. Terricarus, however, did not do the same. He unbuckled his sword, and threw it on the ground. "What I did, it was to shut you up. I will not fight you any longer." But Darvon did not care. He continued to run and raised his scythe, and slammed it down. But Terricarus simply put a hand up and grabbed the handle, then kneed him in the gut. Darvon let go of the weapon, and Terricarus threw it aside. Darvon dropped his shield and threw a punch at him, hitting the side of his head, incapacitating Terricarus for a moment. But, when he recuperated, he tackled Darvon to the ground, and started throwing punches. He did not realize that Darvon was unconscious until Xiro and Nakunda had to drag him off of him. Lukvar sat him down, hesitating to give him his weapons back. Terricarus looked solemnly at the ground, then broke down. He covered his face with his blood covered hands and started shaking. He muttered under his breath while tears streamed down his face. Xiro sat beside him, holding him with one arm. He had never known what Terricarus had gone through. None of them had. He was always a quiet guy, but a vicious weapon on the team. That was the reason he came to the group, and they became close.

Some of the soldiers walked over and propped the general up against the wheel and shook him awake. Barely able to walk, they helped him up. As they walked past Terricarus, Darvon spat on him. "Come on, we need to go," Xiro said, helping up Terricarus. "You guys wonder why I hate that ass hole," Nakunda said, tightening her gauntlets, "It seems like he never shows his true side until he is drunk." The group walked out of the gates, while several guards watched closely.

After several hours of traveling, they came upon a ruined temple around 100 meters away. Nakunda shushed the rest and hopped off the horse. She tied it to a tree and started to walk towards it, only to be stopped by Xiro. "We need an attack plan," he whispered. "Lukvar, go and scout out the place. See how many cultists are stationed there." Lukvar nodded, mostly to himself, getting his mind in the right place, and without a sound, he climbed a tree to get a better view. They waited around five minute, then he emerged from the brush of the tree. "Looks like 8 stationed," he knelt on the ground, picking up a twig and drew a circle and started drawing x's, representing the enemy. After he was finished, Xiro took the stick and started making a plan, "I believe they are holding the prisoner in the center. Right now, he is tied to a wooden post with three surrounding him. The rest are guarding the archways until the ceremony."

After strategizing, the group took their positions and waited for the signal from Xiro. Xiro's eyes flickered red as soon as he was ready and he started to whistle. Everyone charged out, weapons drawn, frenzying towards the cultists. Still full of anger, Terricarus swung his great sword madly, and chopping off one of his hands. He then grabbed a hand full of his hair, and sliced his neck. Nakunda swung her maul at four of the cultists that had converged around her, hitting their faces at the same time. They were killed before they hit the ground. Lukvar was standing on a high arch while throwing daggers at the cultists trying to sneak up on the rest of them. He threw them with both hands, never missing a single one. Two went down. Just one more to go. As Nakunda was about to swing the maul at the last one, Xiro deflected it and she fell back. "We need this one alive!" He pointed at the last cultist and vines started emerging from the ground. The cultist struggled to get free, but was soon disarmed by Lukvar.

"You move and you lose a hand," Lukvar said, already pressing a knife against his right hand. The man snarled as he struggled to release himself from the vines. "Lukvar!" Xiro stormed over, while Lukvar was kicking him in the face, already asking questions. "Lukvar! Stop!" Xiro pulled him off the cultist and threw him to the ground. Terricarus held him back as he tried to throw a punch at the cleric. Xiro blocked his face with his arm, but before Lukvar could hit him, Terricarus grabbed his arm and shoved him back. "You all better calm down right now," he shouted on the top of his lungs. "We have a job to do and we will not get distracted!"

Nakunda stormed over to the three after searching through the corpses. She shoved a ceremonial dagger into her bag and put a few rings on her fingers. "What in the Nine Hells is going on?" She shouted this on the top of her lungs, only nobody could hear her. They were all too busy yelling at each other. Xiro was gesturing towards the cultist while Lukvar was trying to get Terricarus off his shoulder. Nakunda looked at them in amazement, trying to remember if anything like this had ever happen before. She remembers disagreements, but never this.

The fighting was interrupted by the sound of an unfamiliar voice. The man tied to the post. He was still tied up, the skin around his wrists starting to bleed from the rope. "Please stop and get me down!" The group came to their senses and hurried over to him. Terricarus cut the rope lose and he fell to the ground. He grunted as he used his hands to sit up. "I cannot walk. I haven't been able to for years." Nakunda helped him over to a mossy brick wall for him to lean up against. "You alright," Terricarus asked, taking out a flask of water for him. The man drunk and thanked him. "Yeah, I'm alright. Thanks a lot for helping me." Still chugging the water he said "My name is Francis."

There was an awkward silence between everyone, for nobody wanted to speak of what just happened. Lukvar gave Xiro a reassuring nod. Xiro smiled a bit and nodded back. "I need to tell you all something," said Francis, "These temples are evil. You must keep your anger in check. What just happened between you is because there is a curse upon these ruins."

"I thought I felt something," said Xiro, sliding his hand across the cracking stone walls, seeing the enchantments engraved upon them. "Did you notice anything strange around this area?"

Francis nodded to them, drinking the last few drops of the flask then gives it back to Terricarus. "Do you have any food?"

Xiro looked surprised. "Wait," Xiro said impatiently, "What did you notice?" Terricarus removed a loaf of bread from the pack and gave it to him. Francis thanked him then pointed behind them. "That brick wall right behind the arch. You might think it's just an arch, but it's really a doorway." He shoved the bread into his mouth and ripped a piece off. He then gave the bread back and then said, "Give me the ring you took." Nakunda slipped off the ring and gave it to him. He then started dragging himself over towards the archway. When he got there, he put on the ring ran his hand over the wall. In the center, there was a chiseled out symbol that looked like someone had pressed in the ring to the wall. He inserted the gem of the ring into the engraving. Right as it touched the wall, it started to shake and vibrate. The wall then split in half, opening a doorway that led straight into a long dark flight of stairs.

 **TO BE CONTINUED ON PART III OF THE STORY**


End file.
